As a client you don’t want to be funding another job that the builder is losing money on and you don’t want to be the job they are losing money on either.
Model Design Build Companies
Here are a couple of excellent organizations that I would encourage any builder perusing my blog to check out. They are doing good work, making a difference and If I had a nearby design-build company with a similar structure I probably wouldn't be going it on my own. Chandler Design Build in Chapel Hill
South Mountain Company on Marthas Vineyard
Three Types of Builders
I have often said that there are three types of builders. The first is the craftsman who does amazing finish work and is really more of an artist than a builder. These folks sometimes end up building a whole house but would probably be happier doing custom cabinetry. The second is the most common. These are builders who treat building as work, a job taught to them by their mentors. They are often stuck doing building methods that are somewhat out of date. A classic example of this is putting clapboards directly over building paper wrapped sheathing. Most of the time this works okay and they can get away with it. The third type of builders treat building as a profession melding art, science and craftsmanship. They read a multitude of professional journals, go to building conferences and network with other builders. These folks know that there is a lot of work currently being done around the northeast to repair buildings constructed in the eighties and nineties with clapboards that were not back-primed and installed over a rain screen to space it out from the building paper and sheathing, preventing moisture from escaping. These builders are willing to learn and adapt to the rapidly changing building industry. These builders drive the evolution of the building industry.
